Johto Journeys Contest Style!
by The Renowned Obscurity
Summary: Ahh, the Johto region. Eager for a new adventure, May heads there looking for Pokemon Contests, old friends, and new faces. But she ends up finding something unexpected: romance. Contestshipping OnHiatus/Discontinued ?
1. Prologue: May Goes to Johto!

**It's me again here with a new Contestshipping story! I started writing this a while ago, hoping to post it and be one of the first to have a fanfic about May going to Johto and meeting up with Drew and the like. But as you can probably see, this did not happen and there are many like these out there. I hope you will still give my story a chance.**

**And no, I have not abandoned ****You Again****. I just wanted to post this to… entertain… people while I'm finishing up ****You Again**

**Disclaimer: if I owned Pokemon, I wouldn't be writing a fanfiction about May going to Johto. It would be its own series!**

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**May Goes to Johto – Leaving Already?!**

May leaned over the railing of the ferry, mesmerized by the movement of the water. Her and her little brother Max had just finished their journey through the Hoenn and Kanto regions. It wasn't just the two of them though (because we all know they would've bitten each others' head off by now). They had been traveling with two other Trainers they had met, Ash and Brock.

Earlier today, May and Max departed ways with their companions and were now on their way home to Petalburg City. What would May do now? Since she had become a Pokemon Coordinator, she had learned so much and grown from experience. And then she remembered.

_Johto…_

All of May's friends, enemies, and rivals had headed there to compete in Pokemon Contests. Harley, Solidad, …and Drew. Thinking about it more, May made her decision. Not long after arriving home, she would head to Johto and become even more successful as a Coordinator. Now how would she break this news to her family…?

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"Mom, Dad!" Max called out as he and May entered their home in Petalburg City.

"We're home!" May shouted. At the sound of her children's' voices, Caroline came bounding down the stairs, enveloping them in a hug.

"Uh, Mom…"

"Oh sorry!" Caroline said, letting go of May and Max. "It was just so good to see you two again." Then she turned to the younger of the two.

"How about you go out back and get your father and tell him to meet us in the kitchen," she said to him. Max nodded and ran to find Norman, while Caroline and May headed into the kitchen.

"So how have you been since I last saw you?" Caroline asked her daughter.

"Great!" May replied. "I got to compete in lots of Pokemon Contests and Ash was successful at the Battle Frontier." Her smile disappeared for a moment.

"…I still didn't win the Grand Festival. But later Drew helped me get over my loss with a great battle!"

"Oh," Caroline replied, looking interested. "You mean the cute boy Drew who gives you roses?" May blushed.

"Yes, but it's nothing like that! But speaking of Drew…" Just then, Norman entered with Max.

"Welcome home!" Norman said with a laugh. Both adults were jubilant to have their children home. They spent the rest of the evening talking about their journey and spending time as a family.

As May decided to head to bed, Caroline stopped her.

"Honey, it looks like you had something on your mind all night. Do you want to talk?"

"Well it's just… I know I just got home. But I want to travel again. To Johto. I want to become a better Coordinator and find my own style. And I bet I can do that in Johto."

"I can't stop you from your dreams, May," Caroline replied. "But are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"

"There are other Coordinators who will watch over me."

_Like Drew, Solidad, and ever Harley, in his own sick, demented way._

"Well at least stay in town for another day. Tomorrow we can spend the day preparing for your journey." May smiled and hugged her mom.

"You're the best! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, honey," Caroline replied.

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May awoke the next morning and headed downstairs.

"Where's mom?" she asked Max groggily, as she entered the kitchen.

"I dunno," he replied, taking a spoonful of cereal. "Dad said she was out doing an errand or two."

"This early? I don't understand our mother. I guess she has to get supplies for my journey immediately…"

"What?!" Max exclaimed, dropping his spoon. "You're leaving again? Without me?!"

"I'm sorry Max, but I want to go on a solo adventure to accomplish my dream. And anyway, if you stay here, Dad can help you become a great Trainer for when you get a Pokemon. Then you can go on an adventure of your own!" Max nodded, but still looked extremely upset.

"I guess you're right, sis," he said, not wanting to argue. "Good luck." May smiled, and then went to get ready for the day.

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The next morning, May awoke with a start. She had laid her clothes out the night before, so she got changed quickly. She grabbed her yellow bag with all her Pokemon's needs. Medicine, food, Pokeballs; you name it, she probably had it.

May also grabbed the Pokeballs containing Blaziken, Eevee, and Squritle. She decided to leave Munchlax, Skitty, and Beautifly at home. Max was very fond of Munchlax and it enjoyed picked Berries from the trees in the backyard. And Caroline just adored Skitty and Beautifly.

When May descended the stairs, she gasped in surprise.

"A new bike!" she exclaimed, running down the rest of the stairs. Her family emerged from the next room, smiling.

"Norman went out yesterday and bought it for you," Caroline said.

"Oh thanks Dad! I love it!" May gave him a hug before mounting her shiny, red bicycle.

"It will be a lot easier to get around Johto with that," Max said. "And so you don't get lost…" He pulled a PokeNav from behind his back. "It works in Johto now too!"

May was so happy her family supported her so much. She was so excited to go on another adventure, competing in Contests.

"I talked to Mr. Briney last night as well," Caroline said. "He's agreed to take you to Lilycove City, where they have a Johto-bound ship." May nodded.

"You should get going now; you don't want to keep Mr. Briney waiting!" Norman told her.

May bid one last goodbye to her family before wheeling her bike out the door and riding out of Petalburg City.

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May hit the brakes on her bike and laid it down outside of Mr. Briney's seaside cottage. She noticed the door was cracked open so she peeked her head in. May saw Mr. Briney running around his home, chasing a Wingull (or was the Wingull chasing him?).

"Mr. Briney?" May said, pushing the door open all the way. The old man and his Wingull stopped running.

"Why hello May!" he said cheerfully. "Peeko and I have been waiting for you!" The Wingull called out happily.

"Are you ready to go?" May nodded, and the three of them stepped outside. May grabbed her bike as Mr. Briney started up the boat.

"Let's set sail!" Mr. Briney exclaimed. May smiled and walked onboard. With Peeko on his shoulder, Mr. Briney hit the gas and the boat sped away.

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It was midday when Mr. Briney's small, but speedy, boat docked in Lilycove City.

"We're just in time!" May looked up to see the ship that she would take to Johto. The ship's horn blew, signaling it was time to board.

"Thanks, Mr. Briney!" May exclaimed, running off the boat. Peeko soared in the air above May's head. She pumped the pedals of her bike and managed to stop in front of the boat in time.

"Are you interested in traveling to Johto?" a sailor asked her.

"Yes, sir!" The sailor welcomed May onboard after giving her a key to a cabin. Before exploring the ship, she left her bike in her room. Then she walked to the front of the boat. The horn blew again, and the vessel slowly left the harbor.

May let the wind whip her face and blow her hair. She stared up at the blue, cloudless sky, soaking up the rays from the sun.

"It's a beautiful day," she sighed.

…The perfect day to start a new journey.

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**Haha. Kinda boring and stupid at the end, but it's just a prologue. It's like my version of the last episode of Battle Frontier. Actually, I wrote this before the last episode.**

**Anyway, the rest of the chapters should be longer and much more interesting. The thing is, I have no clue when the next chapter should be up. Remember, ****You Again**** is my first priority; I'm just getting a head start on this project.**

**So tell me what you think with a review!**

**And next time:**

**May arrives in Olivine City and decides to enter a contest to reach the top of the lighthouse. With plenty of challenges along the way, will May be able to make it? And who's waiting at the top? (It's probably not who you think. Or is it?)**


	2. The Sea City and the Lighthouse!

**Whoa! This was one fast update (for me at least). By the way, I have to apologize to any who are reading this fanfiction solely for Contestshipping, because Drew's not going to make an appearance until chapter 4. Sorry!**

**Also, my details about Jasmine don't go with the games, but whatever. It's my story.**

**And thanks to my reviewers!:**

**Midnight Roselia**

**Azngirlelizabeth**

**Disclaimer: I no own Pokemon. But I bet one day, my cat will. (She's evil).**

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**The Sea City and the Lighthouse!**

May awoke the next morning to the sound of a horn blowing loudly. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and rubbed her bleary eyes.

"Attention all passengers," a voice said over the intercom. "We are about to dock in Olivine City. We hoped you enjoyed sailing with us."

Upon hearing this, May jumped out of bed, got dressed, and left her cabin. She looked over the rail on the boat to see Olivine City spread out before her. It was your average seaport city, with fisherman and sailors milling about. What really caught May's eye was the giant, stone-gray lighthouse perched at the southern end of the city.

By the time May could take it all in, the ship had already pulled into the harbor. She slowly walked off the ramp, bike in tow, and took her first step onto the land of Johto.

It was then May was hit with sudden realization. There she was, in a brand new land with no knowledge of, well, anything about it. She was on her own, unaware of what could lie ahead. But at the same time, this was her chance to make it big. There would be some tough competition, but she would overcome it and do her best. Soon, she would be winning Ribbons and appealing with her own style.

Suddenly, May was snapped out of her reverie by a hand being placed on her shoulder. She gasped and quickly spun around, eye wide. There was a tall, rather muscle man in a blue and white sailor's uniform standing in front of her. Tufts of light brown hair poked out from beneath his hat.

"Sorry to startle you," he said. "You just looked lost and I was wondering if I could be of any help."

"Um, yeah," May said, still dazed. "I'm looking for the Pokemon Center."

"I can take you there if you want."

"Sure, that would be great."

"I'm Jeffrey, by the way," the man said, holding out his hand. May took it and was met by a firm grip.

"I'm May," she said.

"Nice to meet you. I take it you're new to these parts?"

"Yeah, I come from Hoenn." Jeffrey whistled.

"Hoenn. That sure is far away. But us sailors travel everywhere. So what brings you here anyway? You look like a Pokemon Trainer or something."

"Actually no," May replied. "I'm a Pokemon Coordinator. You know, the people who compete in Contests."

"Pokemon Coordinator? That's just now becoming a big thing in Johto, especially here in Olivine. Speaking of Pokemon Contests…"

Jeffrey was cut short, noticing they were already at the Pokemon Center. He laughed and walked inside.

"It was really nice of you to show me here and all," May said hesitantly, "but you didn't have to walk me in." Jeffrey laughed again.

"Actually," he replied, "I was on my way here when I bumped into you. So it was no biggie." He handed a smiling Nurse Joy a Pokeball, who proceeded with the healing process.

May looked around the lobby, observing the few Trainers. It was no different than any other Pokemon Center, but May couldn't help but feel that is was special. That's when she spotted it – the poster hanging on the far wall. She quickly ran over to it.

"A Pokemon Contest? Here?! No way!"

"Oh yeah! That's what I meant to tell you," Jeffrey said, approaching May. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Check this out too," he added, pointing to another, smaller poster next to the Contest advertisement.

"Attention Pokemon Coordinators," May read aloud to herself. "Here's a challenge for you – climb your way to the top of Olivine City's lighthouse for a reward! The first five Coordinators to reach the top will get to meet with Olivine's own rising star Coordinator and receive and batch of Pokeblocks!"

"That sounds great!" she concluded. "But who's this "rising-star Coordinator"?"

"That would be Jasmine, Olivine City's former Gym Leader," Jeffrey replied.

"Former Gym Leader? What happened?"

"She is a good Trainer – definitely Gym Leader worthy, but she's also shy and timid. I guess she thought Coordinating was more of her thing."

"And what about the Gym?" May asked.

"Oh, Jasmine had an apprentice she had been training for a while, who now runs the Gym."

May nodded, but still had more questions.

"I'm guessing that Jasmine is a pretty good Coordinator then?"

"She has potential. She's a natural at it," Jeffrey replied, "but she's not really one to leave home. I suppose it's because of Amphy…" More questions formed in May's mind, but Jeffrey, sensing what was coming, stopped her.

"If you have questions, maybe you should ask Jasmine herself. As in, I think you should enter the lighthouse competition."

"You're right, Jeffrey," she said. "And sorry for all the questions. I really appreciate all you've done for me."

"No problem," he replied with a smile. "Now go conquer that lighthouse! And good luck with the Contest!"

May thanked Jeffery again, and he left. Before May could think about the lighthouse challenge, she had other things to take care of first.

By talking to Nurse Joy, she was able to heal her Pokemon and get a Johto Contest Pass. With everything settled, May exited the Pokemon Center and headed towards the lighthouse.

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"Are you here to scale the lighthouse in hopes of meeting Jasmine?" a man standing outside the lighthouse asked. May assumed he was in charge of the whole operation. Either way, May nodded.

"Be careful," he warned. "Other Coordinators before you have tried and failed. But then again, a few more have succeeded."

May tried not to let this get to her. After all, what could be so bad about a lighthouse but a few flights of stairs? Confident that this would be a cakewalk, May entered the lighthouse, completely unaware what was in store.

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She got pass the first floor easily enough; all she had to do was walk around to reach the stairs. May was about to do the same for the second floor, until she took a step, and realized there was no ground beneath her.

"What -?" was all she could manage to say before falling into the hole. She landed roughly on the floor below. **(I hate those things, don't you?)**

"Are they trying to kill someone?!" she May exclaimed, rubbing her sore bottom.

She walked up the stairs once more, this time, being careful to avoid the holes. May got to the stairs to the 3rd floor without any other troubles. At the top of the stairs, an older gentleman was waiting, a stern look in his eyes.

"To pass, you must beat me in a battle!"

May, being the smart Coordinator she was, knew he wasn't planning on sparring hand-to-hand with her. Instead, he sent out a Growlithe while May used her Squirtle. It was an easy battle, with May clearing having an advantage.

"I'm not done yet," the gentleman said, recalling his Growlithe and sending out Ponyta.

"Another Fire-type? This shouldn't be too hard." The gentleman appeared discouraged.

"It's not my fault these are my only Pokemon!" he said, even though it was.

Ponyta was also defeated quickly by a Water Gun from Squirtle.

"I suppose you may pass," the older man said, looking depressed. How other Coordinators may have lost to him, May would never understand.

Nevertheless, she attempted to be polite as she walked by the gentleman, not wanting to upset him further. She just wanted to get to the top of this crazy lighthouse as soon as she could.

The 4th floor seemed perfectly normal, until upon further inspection, May noticed the hall was covered in cobwebs. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she tried to push her way through the sticky mess, but she wasn't very successful. Then May had an idea.

"Blaziken, come on out!" She released Blaziken from its Pokeball and commanded it to burn all the spider webs away.

"Thanks!" May said when the job was done, walking down the now-clear hall.

_So far, this hasn't been so bad,_ she thought.

She headed along the 5th floor hallway when she felt the ground give way beneath her.

"You have got to be kidding meeee!"

She fell into the darkness below once again. But this time, she landed on a net of something… sticky.

_Not spider webs again!_

"I could've sworn I got rid of these things!" May said, struggling to get free. Then she looked around to see about five menacing Spinarak crawling towards her. May screamed, but the spider-Pokemon kept coming. She attempted to reach for a Pokeball, but she was too constricted. Panicking, May struggled some more, and she felt the webs loosen slightly.

This was just enough to allow her to grab Blaziken's Pokeball. It immediately helped out its Trainer with a Blaze Kick, and it burned away all the webs. Then it attacked the Spinarak, knocking them out.

"Thanks Blaziken. You've been a lifesaver." Blaziken cheered, happy to have been of help.

May advanced up the next two floors of the lighthouse, avoiding traps. On the 6th level, a teenage boy was standing there, arms crossed, leaning against the cold, stone wall. He was lanky, with dark, almost black, hair. He wore a red jacket over a black shirt and a bored look on his face.

"Finally, a Coordinator," he said, "I was about to die from boredom!" May looked at him, shocked at his informality.

"Oh, right; your task. To get past me, you have to display your Coordinating skills. Show me a great move combination and maybe, just maybe, you can continue."

Somewhat annoyed with the boy's attitude, May pulled out a Pokeball containing Squirtle. The cute turtle materialized happily, but shuddered when it saw the creepy atmosphere. Nevertheless, it followed May's commands.

"Use Bubble, then Ice Beam!" The glistening bubbles floated in the air before freezing in place. The ice balls sparkled before May told Squirtle to use Rapid Spin.

Squirtle bounced off all the ice balls, shattering them, causing ice crystal to shower gently to the ground.

"Impressive," the boy said.

May smiled, glad that she won the approval of the boy.

"I hope you're able to pull off something like that in battle," he said mysteriously, as May walked up yet another flight of stairs.

And yet another person was waiting for her on the next floor. This time, it was a young girl with long, auburn hair clad in an all-white outfit.

"A Coordinator must also be able to battle," she said quietly.

_So that's what the boy meant…_ May thought.

Without further warning, the girl sent out a Scizor with a fierce look in its eye.

"Go Blaziken!"

Immediately, Blaziken charged at Scizor, arms and legs blazing. It kicked at Scizor with its powerful legs, which just barely dodged.

"Use Slash Scizor!" The extremely fast Steel-type flew towards Blaziken with slashing claws. It attacked Blaziken ruthlessly, who had difficulty defending itself.

Finally, it managed to break free of Scizor's attack.

"Use Blaze Kick, then Sky Uppercut!"

Blaziken hit Scizor right in the abdomen with a flaming foot, sending the bug flying. It jumped back, and then leapt into the air, hitting Scizor in the chin with a punch.

Scizor fell to the ground, almost fainting.

"Double Team Scizor!" The Scizor multiplied into many fast moving clones, circling Blaziken.

May knew the girl was just biding time and allowing Scizor to recover. Then, out of nowhere, the real Scizor launched itself at Blaziken.

The Fire-type cried out as it hit the wall. But it regained health and took down Scizor with one final attack.

The girl said nothing as she returned Scizor and reached for another Pokeball. This time, a Kingler appeared out of it.

"Quickly Blaziken, Aerial Ace!" Blaziken sped towards the Kingler and attacked. Kingler shook it off and used Hydro Pump. Blaziken was forced against the far wall, knocked out,

"Let's go, Eevee!"

The brown, fox-like Pokemon was happy to be out of its Pokeball and battling.

"Dig!" May yelled. Eevee looked at its Trainer, confused. Then May glanced down at the ground, realizing it was solid stone. Her opponent laughed.

"Aw man! Um, use Shadow Ball instead!"

A dark ball of energy formed in Eevee's mouth and was fired at Kingler, hitting it dead-on. The Kingler was pushed back, clearly injured by the blow.

"Mud Shot, Kingler." The crab-Pokemon shot mud from its mouth, momentarily blinding Eevee. The girl took advantage of this moment to attack close up with Vice Grip.

May panicked, but thought quickly.

"Shadow Ball, again!" Eevee attacked Kingler, this time doing more damage from a close-range shot.

"Use Quick Attack, followed by Tackle!" Eevee shot towards the injured Kingler, hitting it once with a Quick Attack before bouncing back and ramming it with a powerful Tackle.

The Kingler fell over, unconscious.

The girl stared at her fainted Pokemon. She then recalled it back into its Pokeball and looked at May.

"Congratulations," she said. "You've earned to right to see Jasmine upstairs. Go on ahead."

May smiled at the girl and continued up the last flight of stairs. At the top of the lighthouse stood an older girl, with long, light brown hair, part of it pinned up with golden hair ornaments. She was draped in a simple, yet beautiful white dress. Next to her, stood an Ampharos. A warm smile adorned her face when she saw May.

"Hello," Jasmine said, somewhat timidly. "Congratulations for making it to the top of the lighthouse." She walked towards May and handed her a case full of Pokeblocks.

"Thank you very much," May said, bowing her head.

"You deserved it."

May walked towards the large, glass window of the lighthouse and looked at the spectacular view of the sea and the city.

"Wow," she said, "the view from here is great."

Jasmine nodded in agreement. Then May turned to her, and Ampharos.

"It's such a cute Pokemon!" May said. "Is it yours?"

"Yes, Amphy is my Pokemon," Jasmine replied. "She's the one that guides all the ships to shore with her bright tail."

"So," May started, running out of things to say. She didn't think talking with Jasmine would be this hard!

"Are you entering the Contest," she finally managed to say. Jasmine nodded.

_I guess there is going to be some tough competition…_

"I am too. This will be my first time in a Johto Contest!"

"Good luck," Jasmine replied. "I look forward to seeing you appeal."

May stared out to sea for a bit longer before deciding to leave the lighthouse. Fortunately, she made it downstairs with no trouble.

She was exhausted by the time she made it back to the Pokemon Center. She and her Pokemon took a good, long rest after the hardships of the day.

Now, May was sitting on her bed in her room in the Pokemon Center, trying to find out which Pokeblocks her Pokemon liked the best. She smiled as she watched her Pokemon play and enjoy their Pokeblocks.

Then she sighed, realizing what she was in for the next day.

_My first Johto Contest… with a rival like Jasmine! This is gonna be tough. I wish Drew was here to cheer me on…_

She suddenly, hopped up, realizing what she had thought.

_Drew?! Why him?_

May shook her head, trying to forget about it, and laid back down. Before she could think of much else, she was fast asleep, dreaming of tomorrow.

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**Everything kind of slows back down in the end…but it definitely heats back up in the next chapter when the Contest gets underway.**

**And also, I need some help thinking of names for random places in Johto I can hold a Contest. I have come to realize that Johto doesn't have that many towns and cities, so if someone can help me with names of places (preferable something plant or flower related) that would be awesome! **

**Oh, and reviews would be awesome too!**


	3. Olivne Contest Vs Steelix!

**I am not very happy with this chapter at all and its length and quality does make up for the fact that I haven't updated since like…November. I just wanted to get this chapter over with so I can actually get to the decent parts of this story.**

**Oh and thanks people who have reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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**Olivine Contest – Vs. Steelix!**

May felt the anxiety rise within her as her turn to appeal in the Olivine Contest steadily approached. She has already seen a good amount of appeals, some excellent and some mediocre. Jasmine had a fantastic performance with Amphy while May chose to work with her Squirtle.

Currently, a girl with short brown hair and a jade green dress was appealing with an Ivysaur. The judges, Mr. Contesta, Mr. Tsukizo, and Olivine City's own Nurse Joy congratulated her on a job well done. Then the Johto Contest MC, Jillian, announced May's name. She has short reddish-brown hair and looked extremely similar to the Contest MCs in other regions.

May walked out on stage, grinning and waving to the crowd. "Squirtle, take the stage!"

Squirtle jumped out of its Pokeball, looking as adorable as ever. "You know what to do!"

With that Squirtle launched into the appeal it had performed for the boy at the lighthouse, the Bubble-Ice Beam-Rapid Spin combo. It was executed flawlessly, and May was rewarded with high marks from the judges. She breathed a sigh of relief, confident that she had made it to the semi-finals.

Since there was a rather small number of Coordinators in the Olivine Contest, only four would be making it past the appeal rounds. But May didn't let this get her down as she headed back into the waiting room to watch the final few routines.

Finally, Jillian walked back onto the center of the stage to announce the semi-finalists.

"We've had a number of great performances here today, but these were the few that blew our judges away!" One-by-one, Coordinators faces appeared on the large television screen.

First it was Jasmine, then May, followed by the Ivysaur girl and a young-looking blond boy. May's face lit up as she saw her picture.

"Now we will shuffle the semi-finalists to determine the match-ups in the battle round!"

The photographs were jumbled around on the screen until they settled, with May's face paired with the Ivysaur girl.

"The first match is Jackie from Azela Town versus May, who hones all the way from Petalburg City in Hoenn! Will these two Coordinators please step out on stage?"

Following Jillian's request, the two girls appeared on stage, met with cheers from the audience.

"Blaziken, take the stage!" Blaziken leapt onto the arena, wrists and ankles flaming.

"Come on out, Weepinbell!" May's opponent Jackie exclaimed.

_This should be a synch,_ May thought. She commanded Blaziken to charge in with a Peck attack, but was stopped.

"Weepinbell, Wrap, then Acid!" Jackie yelled. Blaziken was constricted by a ton of thick vines that it was unable to burn through. Weepinbell then spat a purple, acidic substance in Blaziken's face, and it howled in pain. May's point dropped significantly.

C'mon Blaziken! You can break free!" Upon hearing calls from its Trainer; Blaziken's body began to glow a fiery red and it managed to singe through the vines. Shaking off the acid burns, it stood, prepared for more.

"Now, Fire Spin!"

A vortex of fire shot out of Blaziken's mouth and engulfed the Grass-type Pokemon. Weepinbell was in a world of hurt, as the flames kept dealing heavy damage. Jackie panicked, not knowing how to save her Pokemon from this predicament.

"Try using Razor Leaf!" she then shouted, hoping that she could use the flames to her advantage. The leaves caught on fire and sped towards Blaziken. The attack hit, the beauty and creativity of it causing more damage to May's points than the attack itself. But this was not enough, as Blaziken charged in again, this time readying itself for a Sky Uppercut.

It burst through the flames and landed a powerful punch, sending Weepinbell flying. Jackie's Pokemon crashed painfully into the ground, unconscious to her dismay. Large, red X's appeared on the judges' podium screen and May was declared the winner.

"Nice going Blaziken!" she complimented, and shook Jackie's hand. They walked back into the waiting room to watch the next battle. After all, the winner of this match would be May's opponent in the final round.

Jasmine stepped out onto the stage, followed by the timid-looking blond boy. Jasmine sent out her Steelix, while the boy, Jacob, called out an Electrode.

May stared in awe at the giant steel Pokemon on the screen before her. She has encountered this Steel-type Pokemon before, but never imagined she would have to face one of them, one-on-one. Jasmine's Contest battle was over almost as soon as it started. Steelix was able to quickly take care of Jacob's Electrode with a few powerful Ground-type moves.

"And the winner of this round is Olivine's own Jasmine!" Jillian announced when Electrode had rolled over on its side, clearly unable to continue. The crowd roared with cheers for Jasmine, their hometown Contest heroine. May gulped, knowing she would have to do everything in her power to win her next battle.

"It's time for the final match!" Jillian informed the onlookers. "Let's here it for Jasmine and May!"

May walked to her position opposite of Jasmine, and tried to not let her nervousness show.

"Good luck May," Jasmine said, taking the younger-girl's hand before returning to her own spot.

"Thanks Jasmine. You too!" Facing one another from their respective areas on stage, they waited for Jillian's announcement for the battle to begin. The MC gave the signal, and the battle was underway.

"Blaziken, take the stage!"

"Go, Steelix."

Both Pokemon emerged from their Pokeballs, bathed in a red light. Steelix roared loudly and Blaziken fired a few embers from its mouth to greet the crowd.

"Let's start this off with a Fire Spin-Swift combo!"

Blaziken launched a Fire-Spin attack and then a swarm of glowing stars. The stars burned red-hot and barraged Steelix. Jasmine lost points for the beauty and effectiveness of May's attack, but Steelix was powerful and ready for more. The steel-snake burrowed swiftly underground, leaving only a pile of dirt in its wake.

"Brace yourself Blaziken!" May commanded. It stood its ground, trying to feel the vibrations of the Steelix moving beneath the earth. Without warning, the iron-snake popped out of the ground, landing a direct hit on Blaziken. The Fire-type went flying and landed hard on the far-end of the stage.

It slowly rose from the ground, panting. May grimaced as her points dropped. "Blaziken, Fire Spin, the Blaze Kick!"

A spiral of red and orange flames spun in Steelix's direction, with Blaziken flying through the very center of the vortex. Flames surrounded its foot as it prepared to attack.

Both fiery moves hit Steelix consecutively and it roared in pain. It was obvious that Jasmine's Pokemon was now suffering from severe burns, but it persevered.

"Steelix, Dragon Breath." Rancid, disgusting-green smoke wafted from Steelix's gaping mouth and engulfed Blaziken, causing May's Pokemon to gag. Without further command from Jasmine, Steelix's glowing, harder-than-rock tail came slamming down on the unaware Blaziken.

It cried out as it crashed on the ground, knocked out. May already was down in points compared to Jasmine, and Jillian the match in favor of the Steel-type Coordinator.

May recalled her Pokemon as Jasmine did the same.

"You did great Blaziken," she remarked, though the disappointment was evident in her voice. She then felt a gentle hand on her slim shoulder and looked up to see Jasmine.

"That was an intense battle May. You actually had me worried there for a second," she said, "You and your Blaziken performed excellently together. I'm impressed and I'm sure you will go far." That was probably the most Jasmine has said at once in a while. She proceeded to shake May's hand and then receive her Ribbon from the judges.

"And that concludes our Olivine City Pokemon Contest!" Jillian exclaimed, and the audience erupted into a chorus of cheers, whistle, and applauds. May walked out of the Contest Hall, head hung in defeat.

_My first Johto Contest… I lost…_ she thought sadly. Her head snapped up in surprise only a moment later as she heard she named being called out.

"May!" she heard again. May turned to see the sailor that had helped her out just the day before.

"Oh, hello Jeffrey," May said to him pleasantly.

"I saw you in the Contest on TV! You did spectacular!"

"Thanks," she murmured.

"I know you're probably upset that you lost, but then again, that Jasmine's one tough cookie. There are other Contests out there though, and I'm sure you'll manage to win!"

"You're right!" May replied, spirits uplifting.

"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to give you this!" Jeffrey pulled a thin, red scarf out of his pocket and handed it to May, who looked puzzled.

"I found it discarded in a crate on one of the ships," he explained. "I heard it increases a Pokemon's performance during Contests. I thought it would be perfect for you!"

"Wow! Thank you so much. I'll make sure to put it to good use!"

"No problem. Well I have a ship to catch! Good luck in future Contests!"

"Thanks again!" May called after Jeffery, as he ran off to the shipyard.

She began to head back to the Pokemon Center, pondering both Jasmine and Jeffery's words.

_It's okay that I lost,_ she thought, _There is so much more out there to see and do and I have hope that I will get better and find my own style!_

A huge smile appeared on May's face as she broke into a run, enjoying the feeling of the sea breeze in her hair.

After all, it _was_ only the first Contest out of many more to come…

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

**Yeah well that's it. I have come to notice that I've been using a lot of names that starts with 'J's for my OCs… (Jackie, Jacob, Jillian, Jeffrey). And then there was Jasmine and they're in Johto. Jeez, I've gotta stop that.**

**Next Time:**

**May departs Olivine City and comes across MooMoo Farm, and a sick Miltank. May tried to help heal the poor thing, but then something terrible happens. It's up to May to save the farm and the Miltank!**

**But who knows when I'll update again. After the next chapter of ****You Again?**** most likely…**


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